Each time you watch a Minor League Baseball sport, whether or not in-person, at house or out within the wild, you’re liable to see one thing historic. Thursday delivered in that regard within the type of a 100-steal season being achieved, one of many sport’s premier prospects hammering a walk-off homer and … a canine placing on the headset and leaping within the broadcast sales space? Whereas the pup received’t make our listing of prime performers (in our hearts, although, certainly), let’s take a look at who stole the present on the diamond:
Travis Bazzana, 2B, Columbus (CLE No. 1/MLB No. 15)When you’re going to hit your first homer at a brand new degree, you would possibly as properly put it aside for essentially the most dramatic second attainable! Bazzana definitely did that for Triple-A Columbus, clobbering a walk-off two-run homer (whereas clad in a uniform that gave a nod to the NHL’s Blue Jackets) earlier than emphatically turning to his dugout in celebration. The wallop capped a three-hit evening, his first since arriving on the Minors’ highest degree final month. The primary general choose within the 2024 Draft has proven a affected person eye in 20 video games with the Clippers, posting a .415 on-base proportion. Throughout three ranges this season, the 23-year-old has significantly feasted within the clutch, with a 1.218 OPS in late/shut conditions. Gameday
Bryce Eldridge, 1B, Sacramento (SF No. 1/MLB No. 13)After a house run deluge in August (9 in 26 video games), Eldridge entered the roundtripper column in September. MLB’s No. 1 first-base prospect has gargantuan energy, which might be evidenced by his 470-foot moonshots, but additionally his opposite-field pop, as was the case on his twenty fourth of the 12 months. That units a brand new profession excessive for Eldridge, regardless of enjoying at each ranges of the higher Minors as a 20-year-old. He leads all Giants Minor Leaguers with a .249 ISO this season, whereas simply Willy Adames (26) has extra house runs as a member of the group. Gameday
Franklin Arias, SS, Portland (BOS No. 1/MLB No. 23)There’s been some appreciable upheaval throughout the Pink Sox system this season following the graduations of Kristian Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer to The Present. Arias is a part of that subsequent wave, having ascended to the highest prospect spot after a profitable summer season at Excessive-A. Now the 19-year-old has introduced a few of that blossoming pop to Double-A, the place his homer for the Sea Canines made him simply the fourth teenager to go deep on the degree this season. The Venezuela native’s 60-grade hit instrument will probably be put to the take a look at towards older pitching, as he’s compiled 126 hits throughout 109 video games with solely a ten.1% strikeout fee. Gameday
Cam Caminiti, LHP, Augusta (ATL No. 1/MLB No. 78)In what might be his ultimate begin of the 2025 season, Caminiti continued his dominance for Single-A Augusta. The Braves’ 2024 first-rounder spun six scoreless frames and struck out seven, reducing his ERA to 2.08 throughout 13 begins within the Carolina League. The 19-year-old utterly overwhelmed the opposition, recording 21 referred to as strikes throughout his 93-pitch outing. On the 12 months, Caminiti has averaged 12 Okay/9 on the Single-A degree, whereas batters have posted only a .570 OPS towards him. Gameday
Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Peoria (STL No. 4/MLB No. 95)An exemplary debut season stateside simply retains on getting higher for the 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez collected three hits and 4 RBIs in his first sport for Excessive-A Peoria, his third time plating at the least 4 runs over the previous 10 days. It’s been an otherworldly heater for Rodriguez, who posted a 1.018 OPS in August with 49 whole bases in 22 video games. He leads all certified Cardinals Minor Leaguers with a 166 wRC+ this season and his 20 homers are essentially the most amongst any participant suiting up for his or her age-18 marketing campaign. Gameday
Ben Hess, RHP, Somerset (NYY No. 6)On an evening the place his begin was already pushed again attributable to rain, Hess wound up tossing his first full sport (albeit a rain-shortened one). The 6-foot-5 right-hander retired 5 in a row to begin the competition and persistently peppered the strike zone all through his 70-pitch (49 strikes) outing. He even received a bit assist from shortstop George Lombard Jr. (NYY No. 1/MLB No. 24), who drilled his ninth homer of the season to supply run help. New York’s 2024 first-rounder has allowed three runs or fewer in 13 consecutive begins courting again to his run at Excessive-A. Throughout 21 begins in his debut marketing campaign, Hess is as much as 133 strikeouts (throughout 97 1/3 innings), third-most amongst all Yankees Minor Leaguers. Gameday
Pedro Ramirez, 3B/2B, Knoxville (CHC No. 8)Ramirez is not any stranger to having massive nights on the dish as a professional — he collected 21 prior outings with at the least three hits, in spite of everything. However his newest efficiency for Double-A Knoxville set a career-best as he rapped 5 hits in his 5 instances to the dish, together with three doubles. Referred to as a gifted contact hitter, the 21-year-old has batted .278 in his first style of the Southern League regardless of dealing with a pitcher youthful than him simply twice all season. Ramirez has been significantly potent when forward within the rely, hitting .371 with a 1.068 OPS in such conditions (versus .238 with a .527 OPS when behind). Gameday
Zach Cole, OF, Sugar Land (HOU No. 19)It’s the state of affairs each ballplayer desires of as a child: bases loaded, backside of the ninth, walk-off grand slam. Cole received to reside it for Triple-A Sugar Land, delivering the membership’s first-such occasion because it turned an Astros affiliate in 2021. The 25-year-old has been hitting the whole lot in sight since his promotion, with 5 homers and 12 RBIs in 9 video games. He’s on tempo to set a brand new profession excessive with a .910 OPS throughout two ranges this 12 months, whereas he’s additionally simply one among two Houston Minor Leaguers to have 15+ homers and steals in ‘25. Gameday
Kendall George, OF, Nice Lakes (LAD No. 25)It was a historic night for George, who reached — after which eclipsed — the 100-steal plateau in the course of the 2025 season. The 20-year-old swiped 4 luggage on a three-hit evening for Excessive-A Nice Lakes, attaining one thing not but completed on the Main League degree — 5 consecutive multisteal performances. George’s 80-grade wheels have been on show all 12 months, as he’s simply the fourth Minor Leaguer since 2005 to succeed in triple digits within the steals column. Full story | Gameday
